NOGALES, AZ -- The Fresh Produce Association of the America's board of directors has organized a search committee to oversee the task of finding a candidate to fill the president's position for the association.

The search committee is in the first steps of the hiring process, finalizing the job description and soliciting resumes from qualified candidates. The committee is also working with industry contacts to identify potential candidates. In tandem with the beginning of the search process, the association is finalizing a strategic plan that will delineate the mission, vision and goals of the organization and provide a more formalized roadmap for a new president.

"We are lucky to have the staff that we have," Mr. Ciruli said in a Jan. 7 press release. "As a board, we have every confidence that they are continuing the goals of the FPAA while the board goes through the very important process of finding a new president."

Mr. Chamberlain added in the release, "Our industry is complex and always changing. Our issues are international, involve many government agencies, and involve a supply chain that spreads across North America. We are a diverse group of companies that work very closely together under the auspices of the FPAA. This is an exciting time, and we look forward to finding the right candidate that wants to jump in, to help us take advantage of opportunities, and to meet the challenges we face."